Attractions

In The Labrador Straits

Drive the "slow road" that connects the villages of the Labrador Straits. Traveling southwest to northeast, here's some of what you'll find along the way.

In L'Anse-au-Clair, Moores Handicrafts, 8 Country Rd., just off Route 510 (tel. 709/931-2186), sells handmade summer and winter coats, traditional cassocks, moccasins, knitted items, handmade jewelry, and other crafts, as well as homemade jams. They also embroider Labrador cassocks and coats, and if you stop on the way north and choose your design, they'll finish it by the time you return to the ferry -- even the same day. Prices are quite reasonable. The shop, run by the Moores family, is open daily in season from 9am to as late as 10pm.

The Labrador Straits Museum (tel. 709/927-5234) is just outside L'Anse-Amour (pop. 25), about 19km (12 miles) from L'Anse-au-Clair. Two exhibit rooms focus mainly on the role of women in the history of the Labrador coast. You can also see photographs of the pilots who flew the first nonstop east-to-west transatlantic flight; they flew off course in April 1928 and landed on Greely Island, off the Labrador-Québec coast. The museum is open daily mid-June to mid-September (call for hrs.); a small admission fee is charged. The attached gift shop, Labrador Crafts, is also an excellent stop.

The Point Amour Lighthouse (tel] 709/927-5825), at the western entrance to the Strait of Belle Isle, is the tallest lighthouse in the Atlantic Provinces and the second tallest in all of Canada. The walls of this slightly tapered, circular tower (built in 1858) are 2m (6 1/2-ft.) thick at the base; the dioptric lens up top was imported from Europe for the princely sum of C$10,000 -- a mint at the time. This light kept watch for submarines during World War II and is still in use; in fact, it was maintained by a resident lightkeeper right up until 1995. Remember to climb the 122 steps to reach the views from the top. The lighthouse is open to the public daily from mid-May to September, 10am to 5:30pm, with an admission fee of C$3 (US$2.70/£1.50) adults, free for children 12 and under. This is about a 3km (2-mile) detour off the main road.

After you pass the fishing settlements of L'Anse-au-Loup ("Wolf's Cove") and West St. Modeste, the road follows the scenic Pinware River, where the trees start becoming noticeably taller. Along this stretch of road, you'll also see glacial erratics -- big odd boulders deposited by the melting ice cap. Pinware River Provincial Park (tel. 709/927-5516), open June to mid-September, is about 42km (26 miles) from L'Anse-au-Clair and offers a picnic area, hiking trails, and 15 simple campsites with neither flush toilets nor showers for C$10 (US$9/£5) per night. There's a C$5 (US$4.50/£2.50) fee per car to enter the park. The 81km-long (50-mile) Pinware River, which passes through the park, is known for its trout and salmon fishing; ask the rangers about the provincial rules and license requirements if you're interested.

The highway ends in Red Bay. Here, the interesting Red Bay National Historic Site (tel. 709/920-2051 or 709/920-2142) showcases artifacts from the late 1500s, when Basque whalers came here in numbers to hunt right and bowhead whales. Beginning in 1977, excavations began turning up whaling implements, pottery, glassware, and even partially preserved seamen's clothing. If you're really gung-ho about this sort of thing, you can arrange a tour of sites on Saddle Island, the home of Basque whaling stations in the 16th century. Or you can simply scope out the island from afar: The observation deck on the third floor of the visitor center has a good view of it. Admission to the historic site complex is C$7.15 (US$6.45/£3.60) adults, C$5.90 (US$5.30/£2.95) seniors, C$3.45 (US$3.10/£1.75) ages 6 to 16, C$18 (US$16/£9) families. The site is open 9am to 6pm daily from early June to early October, closed the rest of the year.